Leif Erikson Day 2025
October 9, 2025 in the USA
Leif Erikson Day is an annual American observance occurring in 2025 on October 9. It honors Leif Ericson, the Norse explorer who brought the first Europeans known to have set foot in North America. In the U.S. the day is also used as a holiday to swim and imitate Vikings. October 9th is not associated with any particular event in Leif Erikson's life. The date was chosen because the ship Restauration coming from Stavanger, Norway, arrived in New York Harbor on October 9, 1825 at the start of the first organized immigration from Norway to the United States
In 1963, the U.S. Representative from Duluth, John Blatnik, introduced a bill to observe Leif Erikson Day nationwide. The following year Congress adopted this unanimously. In 1964, the United States Congress authorized and requested the President to create the observance through an annual proclamation. Lyndon B. Johnson and each President since have done so. Presidents have used the proclamation to praise the contributions of Americans of Nordic descent generally and the spirit of discovery. In addition to the federal observance, some states officially commemorate Leif Erikson Day, particularly in the Upper Midwest, where large numbers of people from the Nordic countries settled. (With material from Wikipedia)
More dates:
- Leif Erikson Day on Oct 09, 2026
- Leif Erikson Day on Oct 09, 2027
- Leif Erikson Day on Oct 09, 2028